1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to storage containers in general and, more specifically, to storage containers for fishing tackle. The invention is particularly useful for storing, carrying and easy access to large, artificial fishing lures, fishing accessories, beverages and or live bait. The present invention combines all of these functions into a single compact unit that saves valuable boat space and speeds the process of retrieving and of changing fishing lures.
2. Background Information
Various tackle carrying and storage boxes have been designed to store fishing tackle and lures with the evolution of the designs tending to be from simple, reasonably sized boxes to large boxes with numerous and complex compartments. The large, complex designs of the current storage boxes are appropriate for storage of fishing tackle and lures but their complex nature renders them impractical for use while fishing. This is particularly true when several individuals share space in a typical fishing boat and are casting their fishing lines.
A variety of useful multi-compartment fishing tackle storage units exist. These storage units usually contain several trays and tiers that, when fully opened, form an inverted series of stair-step like levels which can expand from at least two sides of the storage unit. Some other existing tackle storage units combine a live bait chamber with various other compartments to store tackle while the unit is being transported.
In order to have an easy way to store and retrieve lures while casting, many individuals utilize a Styrofoam minnow bucket to hold their lures. The Styrofoam plastic composition of such minnow buckets is suitable for the attachment of the barbed point of the hook end of a large lure to the open top edge of the structure. The lures, attached in this manner, hang vertically from the top edge on the inside or outside of the Styrofoam bucket. However, this approach to storage and use of fishing tackle and lures is awkward, unsafe and unsuitable for several reasons.
While the use of Styrofoam minnow buckets to hold and transport fishing lures solves the immediate problem of easy access to the tackle and lures, the material and inverted design of the Styrofoam minnow buckets causes them to be unstable. The tall, narrow design of a Styrofoam bucket, with the widest dimension being at the top, causes the bucket to tip over when a boat starts and stops or when there are large waves or other rough water conditions. This can cause spills and possibly cause the lures to become tangled. To provide stability to a Styrofoam bucket, weight such as a rock or brick is often placed in the bottom. The added weight creates stress from the inside of the container causing it to breakdown.
The handles on a Styrofoam bucket are typically made of braided cord which can also become tangled in the hook end of the lures. Furthermore, a barbed hook accelerates the breakdown of the edges of the bucket. The Styrofoam buckets detachable lid is of no use when the lures are attached to the top edge of the bucket. It is often inappropriately discarded of or can be blown away by wind creating an environmental hazard.
Insofar as is known, no system has been developed or proposed which has solved the problem of easy safe storage and access to fishing tackle and large lures, such as muskie or northern pike lures, utilized in casting. The present invention is specifically directed to overcoming all of the problems previously enumerated regarding the performance of the tackle storage containers currently in use.